Part IV
Revelation 22:17
Purpose: To declare God's invitation to eternal life.
Aim: I want the listener to come to Christ and to call others to Christ.
INTRODUCTION: A few centuries before Christ a man named Alexander conquered almost all of the known world using military strength, cleverness and a bit of diplomacy. The story is told that Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king.
When the king arrived, Alexander insisted that the king surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander and his little band of fighting men. The king laughed, "Why should I surrender to you? You can't do us any harm!" But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff. The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, Alexander's soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After ten soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side.
The people in the city and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few men were actually willing to commit suicide at the command of this dynamic leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory. How committed are we to conquering the world for Christ?
REVIEW:
1:1-20 I. John's Vision of the Past "the things which you have seen"
2:1-5:14 II. Christ's Vision of the Present "the things which are"
Ch.6-22 III. John's Vision of the Future "things which will take places"
6-7; 12-14 A. Satan's war against God's creation- the first six seals
8-11; 13:11-18; 15-18 B. Savior's war against Satan: The wrath of God- the seventh seal
Ch.19-20 C. The worship of God
Ch.21-22:5 D. The wonder of eternal bliss
22:6-21 E. The responsibilities of those going to heaven
Vs.6-7 1. Be alert "I am coming quickly"
Vs.8-9 2. Worship God alone "Worship God."
Vs.10-11 3. Spread God's message "Do not seal...the prophecy"
Vs.12-13 4. Live in light of God's presence "I am the Alpha and the Omega"
Vs.14-15 5. Rejoice in the blessings of salvation "Blessed are those who wash their robes"
Vs.16 6. Exalt Jesus Christ "bright morning star"
LESSON:
Vs.17 7. Invite others to Jesus Christ
It has been well over 2,000 years since Jesus left the earth. Peter said that in the last days people will scoff, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4). But let's remember that delay does not mean that God has forgotten or changed His mind because, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
Today's verse begins with a challenge.
a. The call to come to Christ
There are five "calls" in this verse. I understand that the first three "calls" at the beginning of this verse can be a call for Christ to come back to earth like we see in verse 20, or it could a call for others to come to Christ. Either way it is both an invitation and a warning to anyone who is still outside of Christ.
I have decided to primarily take this text as a call to those who do not know Christ as Savior. This would parallel what Paul said in 2 Corinthians: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God " (2 Corinthians 5:19--20).
The call to come to Christ comes from three directions.
(1) From the Holy Spirit "The Spirit"
Jesus told us very plainly what the Holy Spirit was going to do: "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged" (John 16:7--11).
By the way, this is our message to the world, too. Paul used these three same truths when he was sharing the Gospel with Governor Felix, "But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, 'Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you' " (Acts 24:24--25).
Verse 17 contains the only recorded prayer of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Maybe this is what Paul was referring to in Romans 8: "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). Our groaning is often related to our longing to be with Jesus Christ: "... even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23).
(2) From the Holy City "the bride"
The bride is the New Jerusalem: "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2).
The glories of the Holy City stand as an invitation to enter. We must have our names written in the Lamb's book of life, but no one will be excluded because of race, wealth (or lack of it), culture, or language: "... behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands" (Revelation 7:9).
The beauty of Christ draws us to salvation. "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple" (Psalm 27:4). "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth" (Psalm 50:2). "Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary" (Psalm 96:6).
(3) From current believers "the one who hears"
Four times in the Gospels we hear Jesus say: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15). Seven times in book of Revelation Jesus says: "He who has an ear, let him hear ..." (Revelation 2:7).
Some of you may be hearing God's Word with your ears today, but you are not hearing with your heart. If the love of Christ has not captured your heart then the words of Christ are not in your heart.
If we have embraced Christ's forgiveness then we will long for others to embrace it too.
"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation'" (Mark 16:15). "And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled' " (Luke 14:23).
The glory of Christ and His Cross are too wonderful to be forgotten. "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25).
b. The conditions for coming to Christ
(1) A deep desire to come "one who is thirsty"
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6).
"but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (John 4:14).
"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water' " (John 7:37--38).
The holiness of God leaves our souls parched day and only the righteousness of Christ can satisfy that kind of thirst.
(2) A willingness to come "one who wishes"
It is possible to feel guilt about our sin and still not come to Jesus for forgiveness. "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). The awakening of the heart to love Jesus is God's work: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God " (John 1:12--13).
(3) A surrender to grace "without cost"
The ONLY way to gain eternal life is to accept it as a free gift. "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David" (Isaiah 55:1--3).
The gift of salvation is refreshing and abundant: "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns" (Psalm 46:4--5). "for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7:17).
The one who is thirsty is ready to repent, the one who is willing to come to Christ sees Jesus as the only way to satisfy their thirst for righteousness, and the one who accepts forgiveness without trying to earn it will give Jesus all the credit for their salvation.
CONCLUSION:Three frogs sat on a lily pad. One decided to jump off. How many were left? Three. He only decided to jump off, but never actually jumped. It's not enough to think about coming to Christ, you've got to take a leap of faith and give your life to Jesus Christ.
Jesus is calling for you to follow Him. Have you answered the call? "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28--30).
The book of Revelation is all about the coming of Christ and the call to come to Christ.
